Over the Kitchen Counter: Angie's Place for Cooking and Crafts

'Sew It' Blue Q Bag

***UPDATE!!!*** I found the video! lol! It took a lot of scrolling in my YouTube history but I found it! I have included it at the bottom of this post...

I recently got back from a short getaway where I picked up this adorable Blue Q bag. I had seen this exact one, with a vintage sewing machine on it, in an Instagram post or YouTube video and loved it. I couldn't find the video again but I never forgot about this bag design since I collect old machine models and in fact, have one that looks very similar to the one on the bag.

I was familiar with the company that makes it because I bought my girls and myself small, pencil case sized Blue Q pouches around Christmas time.  They are incredibly durable and handy zip bags to have, and come in beautiful designs, but sadly I couldn't find the sewing machine one. The store where I purchased them only had the 3 I bought and it was a fluke to even find those as they aren't regular stock. I keep my mini bag in my English Paper Piecing kit to hold my hexie-sewing supplies. It's funky and useful and I never have to worry about it tearing!

While I was away I spotted a small display rack of Blue Qs through a shop window (husband is amazed and incredulous at this weird skill of 'shopping radar' I have), and while there was no sewing machine one showing, I went in to check anyway. And obviously, guess what I found!!!!???? I was soooo excited and snatched it up. This pouch is much larger and will be so perfect in my sewing room. I can't wait to load it up with tools and notions and will certainly have to display it somewhere prominently.

Our trip was short and sweet but also included a visit to Pandora so I was super, super excited. I found so many older charms that I've had on my wishlist so discovering those, AND this fantastic sewing machine bag, satisfied my ISO (in search of) mission. Of course, as soon as one shopping hunting excursion is over there are plenty of other items to keep an eye open for while away. The new Spring 2018 Pandora release is coming up in a couple of weeks so that is also definitely on my list for March.

In the meantime, I'm still working away on the Color Crystals quilt units and am almost ready to start assembling Block A...

Have a great day!! 

Mini Dresden Spool Pin Doily

I knew the only way I would get back to my sewing room was to actually schedule it. I blocked off Wednesday afternoons for a couple of hours and silenced my phone. It worked! For two weeks in a row I had uninterrupted time in the workshop and while progress is slow, and my skills need to be reawakened, I had so much fun!

The first week I tidied up a bit from the holidays (my table turned into wrapping-central) and then planned which fabric scraps I'd use for the first project of the year - the Mini Dresden Spool Pin Doily. I believe I wrote about this being the chosen craft since it was a) small and doable, and b) used the Featherweight machine (something I really wanted to sew on again!). I got the free pattern from The Singer Featherweight Shop HERE. April has generously made it available to all and the instructions are excellent. She has a video on using a vintage buttonhole attachment with an eyelet cam, IF you are fortunate enough to own one. I do not, so I used my Horizon 7700 to stitch out the eyelet.

I cut out the templates and fabric for the blades of the mini Dresden and wow, are they tiny. I realize it has been a while since I sewed because my eyes are way worse. It took another week before I could actually start assembling the little Dresden but it didn't take long to chain-piece it together. Although the Singer 221 hasn't been used in months it stitched as beautifully as ever and I had no issues at all. Once the doily was all joined I top-stitched around the petals and centre. My stitching isn't great but as this is my first one, I am pleased with it. I think it is so darling and looks adorable on the machine with the Aurifil thread on top. I'm not sure if I will make another right away, as cute as it is, because it is just so darn small and fiddly. However, the project was just right to whet my appetite to sew again, especially on my beloved machine. I will definitely be looking forward to Wednesday afternoons now and plan to make that time off limits for other appointments.

Antique Needle Box

Look at this pretty sewing needle display box I ordered. I thought it was the perfect decoration for a small shelf in my workshop and I was delighted when it arrived full of beautiful original vintage needles. It also arrived with cobwebs and lint bunnies...but fortunately, no spiders or bugs! It obviously spent some time in a basement or old barn but the lovely needles and wood-divided sections were worth the brief vacuuming time.

I just adore the tiny packets of perfectly preserved needles and they are so charmingly presented. There is an excellent assortment of brands, sizes and styles, (even some with GOLD eyes!!!) and even though they are 100% usable, I am going to keep them as they are...rowed up for easy viewing. The 'Made in England' packages are my favourite and I was happy there were some actual Dorothy Frances ones remaining in the set. I think the little messages, artwork, and design of the labels and sleeves are such a wonderful representation of the era (e.g. the 'War Economy Pack") and I'm excited to show off my collection to all who'll take a peek.

Happy Hexies & Mollie Makes Patchwork

It has been a while since I stitched up a hexie for my hand-pieced Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt project...so long in fact, when I picked it up the other night while baseball was on, I couldn't quite remember what order I used to join those darn shapes in the most efficient manner. I got the flower done but it really bugged me that I had become that rusty in such a short amount of time! I've been waiting to cut more fabric for the petals AND I need more paper templates (on order) so once I get those two tasks checked off, I'll be able to get back to my daily hand-sewing.

That frustration led me to pull out my two new English Paper Piecing books. The first is Happy Hexies which is a fine little book of 12 hand pieced hexagon projects. There are some "basics" on tools, hexie sewing, and finishing techniques. The projects include a tote, tea cozy and mats, table topper, mini quilt and a couple of pillows (you can see a few on the cover). They are all really cute and fast ways to incorporate a taste of hexies into sewing and certainly less intensive than a full-size hand sewn quilt! I might just pick one or two of them to do while plugging away at my 175 florets and I can use up some of my practice flowers from last year. I had originally started with a sort of 1930s vibe stash of fabric so they just might be really cute in a tea cozy or placemat.

When I placed the order I added in Mollie Makes Patchwork. While the reviews weren't stellar with this one, it was so inexpensive I figured it would get me free shipping while costing less than a magazine at the drug store. When it arrived I was actually quite pleased! It is a hardcover book with 158 pages of sweet projects and techniques instruction. Many different quilt blocks are featured, like a nine-patch, rail fence, dresden, pinwheels, log cabin, etc. so there is a lot to experiment with. I could envision using this book with my grandchildren (when that day might come???) as the diagrams are good and the designs aren't too complicated. There are indeed a couple of hexagon items including a quilt (on the cover!) and a fun apron. For a few dollars, I think this book was a great deal (and it just may remind me in what order I need to sew!).

Vintage Singer Walking Foot

I was so excited when I bought my vintage Singer 301 sewing machine and found a walking foot hidden in the drawer of the cabinet. Unfortunately, when I was quilting a rag quilt for my husband that Christmas, the foot fell apart. It's always a risk and challenge using and finding parts and feet for the old machines so I figured I was out of luck in this case.

Lately I've been searching the web for antique sewing items and I just so happened to find the exact Singer walking foot I needed. Because the 301 is a slant machine it is that much more of a specialty item to source so I snapped it up. The foot arrived in no time and after getting it attached correctly, worked like a charm. I'm delighted to be able to easily stitch through quilt layers again with this beautiful machine. The foot came in its box with instructions and the original receipt for $6.25! (dated April 15, but no year). They certainly have appreciated in value so I hope it survives longer than the other foot did!

As a bonus for being the seller's first customer, she included a lovely little roll of vintage ribbon. How sweet, and another pretty item to showcase in my workshop. So the moral of the story is never give up (once again). Sometimes finding just the right thing takes a bit of searching and a sprinkle of patience.

A Few of My Top English Paper Piecing Tips

I'm no expert on English Paper Piecing but from one newbie to another, I have a few top tips to share to make things easier. I have made enough grandmother's flower garden blooms now to know what I like to use and how to stitch to get the prettiest results. The first attempts aren't great but I certainly have improved by leaps and bounds since those early days.

• Try a few different threads to see what works best for you. I like to use 100% cotton thread and Aurifil is my one and only choice. I switch between the 50 weight and the new 80 wt depending on which colour I need and have. There are others who recommend polyester thread for its strength but I prefer the natural cotton to match my fabric. Regardless of your preference, experiment with a few varieties to test how they perform with hand-stitching which is quite different than machine sewing.

 

• Match the colour of thread to your fabric. I tried using a neutral thread at first and it totally showed. Pairing the same shade of thread with the main colour of your patchwork will make a big difference in how your stitches look. Whipstitches do show but they should be tiny tick marks and not obvious, contrasting stitches.

 

• Don't make your stitches too tiny and close. Aim for stitches about an 1/8th of an inch apart. Your work will move along at a good pace, have a pleasing appearance, and will be strong and secure. I started with stitches far too small and not only did it take forever to finish a flower, my hands started to ache. The look of my seams was so much prettier when I started spacing my stitches further apart. Don't 'bite' more than a few threads regardless of spacing or the stitches will show too much.

 

• Pack a special English Paper Piecing kit so you can grab and go and have your hand-sewing wherever you are. I keep mine in a plastic pencil box from Staples. It doubles as a work surface when opened up flat and keeps everything tidy and protected. I keep my hexies sorted by colour in a stackable container but slip them into baggies for travel. I made my little small, portable design board and it's been amazing.

 

• Sample different types of needles to find which you like best. I've tried many different varieties and sizes and found the perfect ones for me. I happen to like appliqué sharps in size 9 or 10. They are fine and glide through the hexie edges and are not too long. I adore the Roxanne sharps I bought in Florida.

 

• If you are like me, over 40(!) and your eyes are not quite as sharp as they once were, I really find the LED magnifier to be a big help. It allows me to get precise placement of my stitches and helps when I need to remove a tangle or knot.

Have fun and don't be afraid to experiment and practice. Seriously, if I can enjoy hand sewing I think anybody could grow to appreciate it since I would be the last person I'd ever expect to be doing this...and liking it!

Sewline Fabric Glue Pen & English Paper Piecing

I have tried both thread basting and glue basting my fabric to the hexagon paper templates for English Paper Piecing. I 100% prefer glue basting! It is much faster to do and I feel the hexie shape is maintained better as I stitch. Also, because the paper templates aren't perforated with the needle they are in better condition to be reused.

For my first batch of work I used my Fons & Porter glue pen. It was in my supply kit already but I hadn't really ever used it. I can't recall why I purchased it in the first place but I'm glad it was there ready and waiting. I quickly used up the glue and pack of refills but it is a breeze to apply and works so well. I had to search a bit to buy more refills and realized it is quite an expensive way to baste (because I have so many hexagons to do!). In a pinch, when my pen was empty, I tried both a regular Elmer's school glue stick and Lapel Stick (fabric glue for collars and hems) and neither stuck as well and were very cumbersome to use. So, I have resolved to keep on with the pen-shape glue and suck up the cost (still a relatively small price to pay for excellent results and ease of application).

While I was in Florida I picked up a Sewline version of the fabric glue pen and a pack of refills. The various brands are really actually almost identical and in fact, the refills are interchangeable. Some have blue glue, some have pink but they work the same way. Sewline is made in Japan and darn that cute pink & butterfly pen barrel - just so pretty in the hexie project storage container!

One thing I found initially is that I had no idea how to insert the refill cartridges. I know it's not rocket science but I just couldn't figure it out. Apparently I'm not the only one and I found an excellent quick video demonstration on how to refill the glue pens (watch below). It so happens that the tutorial is by Helen Stubbings herself - the amazing Craftsy instructor who teaches the Quick & Easy English Paper Piecing class! She also shares some great tips on what to do with the empty plastic cartridges - I love that! I highly recommend glue basting for this type of quilting. It is so quick, convenient, and very effective.

You may be wondering about having the glue residue on your fabric (and quilt) but of course, it is perfectly safe, water soluble and washes away when the quilt is laundered. There is also no concern or problem removing the paper hexie templates when the time arrives. I save up a stack of the flowers over the week and then simply use my old Cricut spatula to gently run under the edge of the seam allowance. The papers pop right out and there are no threads to cut or pick. It's awesome!

by annie's Soft and Stable

I've had Soft and Stable on my 'get list' for ages and finally bought some while in the States. I found it in a small quilt shop and the owner only had one package with an 18"x58" piece in stock but assured me it would be enough for a standard tote bag. This product has been featured on several videos and Annie herself demonstrated some cute placemats on the Fat Quarter Shop channel (see below).

Soft and Stable is much thicker than other stabilizers and allows for bags and purses to have more body and maintain shape. It's still lightweight and easy to sew, is washable, and soft. I'm really excited to give it a try because I dislike 'floppy' fabric bags. I have had a pattern and fabric for a tote bag ready on my table but was waiting to get the stabilizer. Now I'm all set but realize the pattern only asks for medium weight fusible interfacing. I'm no expert but I'm sure I can just use the Soft and Stable in its place. The tutorials on byannie.com make it seem very simple to use so it shouldn't be a problem. I'll be sure to share the results when it's done. If I can't figure it out I will totally be making the placemats instead!

Island Time

I know I have been absent but I've been on 'island time'. We had a wonderful week away in the sun and have returned very relaxed! That doesn't mean, of course, that I left my sewing behind. I packed up my trusty English Paper Piecing kit and caboodle and loved every stitch overlooking the ocean (or the runway...or the airline seat tray or the ball game on t.v.!). I kept to my quota of one flower a day and actually exceeded it while in the air. The hobby even relieved some of my flying anxiety, which was great.

I didn't do too much shopping but did pick up a couple things. The first was a tube of gorgeous Roxanne appliqué needles. I wanted a quantity of size #10 since those are the ones I like best from a sample pack I've been using. Roxanne's are made in England so I know they are of good quality and once I got back to the hotel and tried one, I was in love! They simply glide through the fabric, feel terrific in my hand, and I was delighted to see the wee tiny sea shell on the tube stopper. What a perfect souvenir from my vacation.

I'll share the other goodies in second post since I have a ton of laundry to do and have to figure out how to cook dinner again. I'm so sorry to have missed writing for you but with no secure wifi and the call of the ocean breeze, I just couldn't make it happen.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms...I was spoiled by my babies but sure do miss my own mum. 

Vintage Iron

I am having fun finding new vintage items to add to my sewing collection. Small, inexpensive notions and retro gear are the perfect additions to the theme without taking up too much room or cash. My latest wish was for a 1960s era travel iron. These old irons are awesome for quilting because they are super hot and have a good point at the tip, not to mention they are adorable. Despite being a 'travel' version, this little iron has some weight and heft to it - also a good feature when pressing patchwork.

I found a General Electric iron on-line and it is in great shape - almost like it was never used. The cord is perfect and it came complete in the box with manual and water bottle to make it a steam iron. It has a temperature dial to select the appropriate heat for the desired fabric and a flip-down handle for travel. It works perfectly and is so comfortable to use. They really don't make 'em like they used to.

I think this iron is so cute and charming BUT the vintage models do come with a caution. First of all, they get extremely hot so care must be taken while using to avoid burning - both the fabric and one's skin! They also have no modern-day shut off system so one needs to be vigilant about unplugging them. A good rule of thumb is to NEVER leave them unattended when plugged in! There are stories of dangerous fires from these irons so it's important to be careful and be extra attentive. Also, most of the older irons have cloth cords. While mine is in perfect condition there are some worries using an iron with an old fashioned, un-certified plug. I will use my new/old iron occasionally when I am piecing patchwork but for the most part it will be a decorative item in my workshop.